School Days
by islaydragons
Summary: College AU - Addison's new roommate is scary, intimidating, and irritatingly pretty. Trying to get her second degree and somehow not crush on one of her best friends, she's thought about dropping out more than once.
1. roommates

Addie didn't know what to think of her new roommate. Her old one was terrible, yes, and Addie had no problem in telling her to find somewhere else to live, but her new one was still an anomaly. It wasn't like she was messy, rude, or even a little bit obnoxious, but when Addie decided to put the ad out for a new roommate for her final year of her second undergraduate degree, she wasn't sure what to expect.

The truth was, Natasha Romanoff was scary.

"So, uh," Addie stuttered out, helping move some of Natasha's things into the small townhouse they were living in. "I'm surprised that you actually wanted to, you know, live with me?"

Natasha had a smirk on her face as she dropped her box, running a hand through her short, red hair. "You made it pretty easy when you told me that the place was already paid for and that I only had to help with groceries."

Addie's face burned and she chuckled nervously. "Yeah... I didn't want to put that on the ad for obvious reasons. Do you have anything left in your car?" she asked politely, looking at the amount of things laid out in disarray in the room that was now Natasha's. "If not, I'm supposed to be meeting with some friends for a late dinner and maybe some drinks since the semester is about to start, if you wanna come? I'll help you unpack when we get back."

"Just moved in and you're already offering to take me out?" Natasha laughed, the hard look on her face softening in the act. "What happened to your last roommate?"

 _Is - is that a yes?_ Addie thought confusedly before scrunching her face up at the thought of the last occupant. "Took advantage of my... um, you know... _funds_ and just an all around menace," she grimaced before darting her eyes to the green pair that stared intently. "Please don't make me kick you out."

If Natasha was at all offended, she didn't show it. Instead, she nodded understandingly, no judgement on her face. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I'm low-maintenance. So, where are we eating?"

Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

"If you want to drink," Addie started, looking at Natasha in the passenger seat. "Go ahead. I'm driving home so I don't really want to die."

Shaking her head, Natasha unbuckled her seatbelt and started to get out. "Nah, not today. I think it's going to be an early night for me."

Addie couldn't help but agree. It was a relatively hot day in New York City in early August and after helping Natasha get all of her things inside, Addie was worn out and tired. She didn't know exactly why she decided to go have dinner with her other friends when her and Natasha had this day planned for awhile. Maybe it was the obligatory feeling she had anytime they asked her to do anything - she could never say no - or because she was starving, she wasn't sure.

The two walked to the entrance of the quaint restaurant, and Addie fidgeted. "I hope you like them. They're pretty rambunctious but they're nice enough."

She wasn't sure why she wanted Natasha to like her friends. She thought it could be because this woman was _very_ intimidating and seemed much more genuine than her previous one. Veronica ( _"You can call me Ronnie!" "I'm not calling you that."_ ) clashed with her group multiple times causing more problems on top of the ones at home. She felt close with her small group, and if Natasha was going to be around them, the best bet would be that everyone gets alone.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Natasha assured, holding the door open and knocking Addie out of her reverie. "I think I'm definitely likable. Lead the way."

A little less worried, Addie did exactly as she was told, immediately walking to the back corner her and her friends occupied each time they came to this restaurant.

"Addie!" a masculine voice hollered, families giving him the stink eye, and Addie rolled her eyes fondly, walking into the already opened arms of Sam Wilson. "It's been too damn long. Where have you been? I've been trying to get ahold of you for a while. _Oh_ , you must be the new roommate." Sam quickly let go of Addie and turned his attention to Natasha, a sly smirk on his face. "I'm Sam Wilson, but everyone calls me Falcon. _You_ can call me whatever."

"No one calls you that, idiot," a gruff voice interrupted. Bucky Barnes had his head in his hand, a lazy grin on his face. "Birdbrain more like it. I didn't know that Natasha was who you were going to be living with."

Addie's eyes were wide, mouth agape as her and Natasha moved to sit down at the table. "You already know each other?"

Steve Rogers was the one that nodded. "The three of us partnered for a project in French our second year. We've been friends for awhile now."

"If it makes you feel better," Natasha drawled. "I didn't know that you were the Addie they talked about, either."

"Fair enough."

Addie picked up her menu, hiding her flushed face. Bucky nudged her leg underneath the table, her face heating up more before she peeked her eyes at him from behind the menu. He shook his head. "You already know what you're getting. You seriously get the same thing every time, so quit hiding."

"It's not my fault the chicken fried steak here is so good," she immediately replied, indignant, smacking him with the menu. Sam hit her from her other side. "Stop hitting people."

"You just hit me!"

"Because you're embarrassing us!"

"It's Bucky's fault!"

"You should hit him again, then."

"Please stop," Steve finally butt in, an exasperated look on his face, Natasha next to him looking very amused. The three across the table grumbled in dissatisfaction, acting much more mature when the waitress asked for their orders.

"Will this be together or separate?" she asked, staring expectantly. Addie met Steve's eye, blurting out quickly before he could. "All together, please."

She nodded, saying she'd be back with drinks, and Addie crossed her arms when the table groaned. Sam shoved her into Bucky. "Quit doing that."

"Doing what?" she asked innocently, and even Natasha rolled her eyes.

"You know what."

"Does this happen often?" Natasha questioned, and Steve nodded seriously. "It's nice and all but it gets to feeling like we're taking advantage."

Addie scoffed. "You can't take advantage if I offer it willingly," she pointed out before waving her hand. "It's not a big deal. Just deal with it."

Bucky shook his head, muttering, "Rich kids."

"Talk about something else," she muttered back, starting to feel more self conscious after her outburst, fidgeting with her hands underneath the table. Bucky nudged her again, this time much more softer, a hint of affection with it. "What all do you have left of this degree?"

"Yeah," Sam piped in. "Why exactly did you agree to do that again? Do you want to stress out so bad you implode or something?"

"Well, _I_ think it's cool," Steve interjected, giving Sam a pointed look. "Is that what you've been doing this summer?"

Addie shook her head. "No, I actually went home this summer. My parents were adamant that I stayed. And I'm taking stuff like abnormal psychology, some research labs, and an easy astronomy class to satisfy the life science credit I need," she explained before turning to Natasha to elaborate. "I'm getting my second Bachelor's in Psychology."

"What was your first one in?"

"Nuclear engineering."

Natasha spluttered on the newly acquired lemonade, Steve patting her lightly on the back while she coughed. Addie shrugged at the expression of awe on her face, turning away. "It's not that big of a deal, stop looking at me like that."

She didn't miss the small plead in Steve's eyes as he looked at Natasha. Natasha seemed to understand the silent conversation before schooling her features. "No, no, it's cool - impressive, really. Is there a reason why you're getting a psych degree now?"

Addie pursed her lips at the question. "Yes," she said slowly. "I like psychology." She offered no other explanation, and she was very aware that everyone at the table knew it was more than that, and she was very glad that no one commented on it.

It wasn't like she was lying: she really did like psychology.

* * *

"I told you it wouldn't be so bad," Natasha reminded once the two were driving back to their home. Addie nodded in agreement because she was right: it was good that Natasha already knew Steve and Bucky because it didn't cause for an awkward conversation filler of getting to know someone. She meshed well into the conversation and even humored Sam when he got too flirty.

"How long have you guys known each other?" the redhead asked in lieu of silence, and Addie tossed the question in her head, humming. "I've known Steve and Bucky since I was kid. My parents and I stayed in Brooklyn for awhile before moving, but we kept in touch. It was one of the main reasons I chose this university. I met Sam at new student registration, and he hasn't left me alone since."

"You guys all seem close."

Addie nodded, keeping her eyes forward. "Yeah. I'm glad." Wanting to steer the conversation in a different direction, she asked, "How about we unpack all of your stuff tomorrow? I'm exhausted."

Natasha sighed in agreement. "You read my mind."


	2. chronically late

"Are you going to be late?"

"It's not the first time," Addie answered, rushing around the house to find her backpack. "Do you know where my laptop is?"

Natasha pointed towards the living room, not looking up from her lunch. "It's on the couch."

Addie thanked her and shoved it into her bag. Grabbing an apple on the way out, she said her goodbyes to Natasha and sped to the university. _How many are going to be waiting outside the room?_ she thought, pulling into her parking spot and speed walking (definitely not running) towards the academic building. _Surely not a lot at this time in the semester?_

She was definitely wrong.

There was a crowd of students waiting to be let into the locked classroom, and if Addie had to guess, most of them were first or second year students judging by the awkwardness radiating off of them.

"Excuse me, sorry, move please," she apologized as she bumped through the crowd to unlock the door. College students were much better than high school students when doors were opened, as they actually waited for her to get in before rushing to find a seat in the lecture hall. She swiftly walked down the stairs to the front and connected her laptop to the projector.

"Sorry for being late, everyone," Addie began, pushing her hair behind her ears nervously after seeing the annoyed looks on some faces. "My name is Addison Graham and I'm your Supplemental Instruction, SI, leader for the fall semester for General Chemistry. Um, I've already received my Bachelor's in Nuclear Engineering, and now I'm finishing up my degree in Psychology. And as much as I would... _love_ to go around the room and get to know all of you, there's like two hundred of you and that's too many for me to remember," she paused. "Any questions?"

A girl rose her hand and called out, "Who did you have when you took the class?" A couple of nods followed the question, and Addie rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, I tested out of Gen Chem and went straight into Newtonian Mechanics. But, I heard the genetics professor, Dr. Cho, teaches a few sections and that she's highly recommended."

A few groans were heard and someone muttering, "I have Pym, and he's the _worst_."

Addie hid a smile at the disgruntled freshmen and sophomores. She had heard a lot about Dr. Pym as well, and most of the reviews had him as a boring, cynical man that had no qualms for calling out students in front of the entire lecture hall. She only had a few encounters with the older professor, and she was intimidated by him each time that she scurried away when they would cross paths. He wasn't necessarily the _worst_ as the students would say as he was knowledgeable in his field; it was just that he was very difficult.

Addie clapped her hands to get the attention of the room again, then began typing on her computer. "We're running a little behind - sorry again - so I'll go ahead and put the worksheet up. Your professors should've emailed it to you already just in case because I wasn't going to print that many papers, you guys know how printing money goes by now, right?" A few more groans resonated through the room and Addie smiled. "It seems your first exam is covering bonds, Lewis dot structures, and the beginnings of calculating moles. Trust me: this is going to be your easiest exam so if you're already struggling, shoot me an email."

And with that, she started the worksheet and answered the questions they seemed to have.

* * *

"I'll see all of you next week at the same time and hopefully, I won't be late," Addie dismissed, starting to pack away her things. "Like I said earlier, don't be afraid to ask for help: chemistry isn't supposed to be easy."

"Wasn't it easy for you?" one of the guys in the front asked skeptically, and Addie shrugged, a nervous smile on her face, "That's a little different."

"I mean, I guess," he mumbled, eventually exiting with the rest of the students, and Addie sighed, sitting in her chair.

She'd been an SI leader for the university since the second semester of her freshman year as she couldn't jump into tutoring students in courses she hadn't technically taken at the college. Normally, she would've had to have taken chemistry here, but due to her grades in other courses and the fact she tested out, they allowed her to do it. She enjoyed it enough; she was able to make some of her money, help some of the younger students out, and it gave her something to do other than study and sleep. However, it never failed to stress her out because some students needed a longer explanation than she wanted to give, and some absolutely could _not_ get it no matter how many questions they asked.

"Hey, Einstein, you hungry?"

Addie whipped her eyes up to the doorway of the room to see Bucky grinning at her, his own backpack slung over his shoulder and hair pulled back out of his face.

"What are you doing on campus right now? It's the weekend?" she questioned instead of answering, yet she gathered the rest of her things and walked upstairs to meet him. Bucky held the door open for her and led her to the dining hall.

"Had a paper for my Existentialism class and needed to get a book on Nietzsche," he explained, face scrunching up. "You know, whether or not we're in fully responsible of our actions, things like that. We have to use our own thoughts about rationalism. Actually," he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Can you proofread it when I'm finished? I'd ask Steve but he'd just tell me it was the best paper I've ever written and I would end up with a C."

Laughing, Addie nodded happily. "Of course. I still can't believe you're a Philosophy major, Buck. I always thought you'd do something more... action-y?"

Bucky snorted. "I like it. It helps me get an idea about what's going on in my own head and makes me think."

"Whatever works for you."

He bumped her hip and led her to their usual food choices: pizza. Addie filled her plate up (she didn't get to eat anything except an apple that day, what an idiot) and practically skipped to an open table, sighing happily at the smell. "I love pizza."

"Yeah, no shit," Bucky retorted, eying the pile of slices on her plate. "Natasha knew I was on campus and she told me you skipped lunch since you were late," a stern look was in his eye. "Have you ever been on time to anything in your life?"

Addie huffed at the reprimanding tone. "Of course!" she defended. "It's not like I'm chronically late. For example, I was on time to your last birthday!"

"You literally walked in after the cake was gone."

"Okay, but that wasn't because I was _late_. I was - I was just, you know, getting ready to surprise you!" her face was red in embarrassment because she was late. But to be fair, she thought Steve had said three o'clock instead of two, so she was only an hour late. "I got you a nice gift so it doesn't matter."

He looked down at wrist thoughtfully. "I really do like this watch. Thanks again, Addie."

She blushed and nodded, stuffing a piece of pizza in her mouth to avoid making eye contact. "It's no problem."

The two ate in amiable silence. It was something Bucky and Steve had done for her for the longest time: she had a habit (and it was one she could break any time she wanted to!) of arriving late which caused her to forget things. It usually involved her belongings in which someone would pick up for her, and every now and then she be in such a rush that she'd forget to grab something to eat. She wasn't sure how the two of them knew when nobody actually informed them, and she likened it to a superhuman ability that she was grateful for.

"How are your parents doing?"

The sudden question startled her, and Addie could see the steady gaze in her companion's eyes. She wiped her hands clean and fiddled with her fingers. "Fine. Same old, same old."

It wasn't a subject they broached often. Her friends knew how uncomfortable she felt when anything related to home was mentioned, and they usually didn't inquire too much. Bucky suddenly asking was out of the norm for the routine they all had.

"Did anything," he tried to think of what to say. "Different happen? Or was it really just the usual reason for asking you to go home?"

Addie stared at him, her own curiosity shining through. "Different? Bucky, they ask me to come home often."

He let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand down his face, only saying, "I just don't like your parents."

"And they don't like you," she pointed out matter of factly. "Or did you forget when they came here to visit?"

He grumbled at the memory, and she laughed at his expense. It was true: her parents did not like Bucky Barnes. It wasn't always like that, either, which makes it even more amusing for her as when they were kids, her mother and father tolerated him and Steve. However, during their second year of college, her parents made the trip to New York City to visit their daughter, and Addie forgot to let Bucky know. They showed up at her house at six in the evening, and Bucky was already wasted, spewing out all sorts of nonsense - a lot of it was insults made directly in the face of her parents.

And since then, Joseph and Katherine Graham disliked her closest friend.

"It's not my fault you didn't warn me," he insisted, a frown on his face, and Addie reached over to pat his arm, mocking, "Oh yes, it is completely my fault that you wanted to get piss drunk at my house that day."

"Whatever."

* * *

i just love college au's so much i had to do it


	3. enthralled

Addie wouldn't consider herself a genius. Things didn't just come naturally to her, she wasn't way ahead of her age group, and she wasn't on her way to changing the world because of her IQ.

So no, Addie wouldn't say she was a genius. She'd just say she grew up wealthy.

"What's got you thinking so hard?"

"Huh?" Addie jerked her head in the direction of the voice and saw Natasha standing over her, an eyebrow quirked. Addie smiled at her and shook her head. "Just thinking about my upcoming Astronomy exam."

Natasha hummed, disbelieving of what she said, and Addie closed her eyes, placing her hands behind her head to avoid the (scary) eyes of Natasha Romanoff. The redhead plopped on the couch next to the brunette and shoved her roughly causing her to tumble over with a yelp.

"You're a terrible liar, you know," Natasha pointed out. "You don't have to tell me, but I've noticed you've been acting weird since the semester started."

"Have I?" Addie wondered thoughtfully. "It could be from the stress."

"You're perpetually stressed."

"How could you say that?!"

Natasha gave her a small smile that had even Addie confused. It wasn't the fact that Natasha was smiling, per say, because the woman did. Or well, she gave smirks and small quirks of the lip. No, what had Addie confused was how genuine and _different_ it looked compared to her normal ones.

"A-Are you okay?" she couldn't help but ask, sitting up fully to face her roommate and friend. " _You've_ been acting weird."

Smile still on her face, Natasha shook her head. "Just glad we're friends, and you can tell me anything, Addison."

Addie couldn't help but groan and scrunch her nose in distaste. "Don't call me Addison, Nat, I've told you!"

Another shove was sent her way.

"I'll call you whatever I want."

Affection filled her. With Veronica, Addie was never fully comfortable. She was nervous all the time and couldn't imagine having a moment like this with her. Veronica was self-centered and very good at making Addie feel inadequate even if it wasn't on purpose. Natasha, however, was pushy but in a good way. Addie knew she was awkward and hard to talk to (Bucky had informed her _multiple_ times) and she knew that she could be emotional. And while some people would dislike living with her, Natasha honed in on it and was aware of her tendencies. Instead of ignoring them or even mocking her, Natasha pushed her way into a position that allowed Addie to not feel as uncomfortable.

"You're thinking again."

Blinking her eyes a few times, Addie grinned at Natasha. "Just thinking that I lucked out with you."

Natasha didn't grace her with a response but the small lift of the lips was enough.

* * *

The library was an extension of home for Addie. She didn't go as often as she'd like (mostly due to her friends occupying her time) but she enjoyed how peaceful it was.

And she really enjoyed it when she could just stare at the man in front of her.

Bucky Barnes was physically attractive. His long dark hair contrasted against his pale skin and blue eyes well, and his jawline was something to be trifled with. He was fit, _very_ fit, and wore flattering clothing that allowed anyone to see it. He was tall and muscular and so _pretty_ that to anyone, he was aesthetically pleasing.

But what Addie found the most attractive about Bucky Barnes was his normal actions. The way he would dart his eyes away if he said something embarrassing, the teasing he gave Sam, the disgust on his face when she tried to force him to eat super sweet things, and the way he'd tried to hide the fact he was crying when they watched sad movies together. She could watch him stare at a wall, and she would still be enthralled.

Of course, he didn't know like every typical "girl likes her best friend" scenario. And it was fine. It _hurt_ but it was fine.

Because she was still able to watch him and find new things she loved about him.

"Are you alright?"

Addie shook her head from her reverie and smiled softly. "Yeah, Buck. Just working myself up about the exam."

The man snorted as quietly as possible, blue eyes twinkling. "How many times do I need to tell you? You'll do fine. You don't even need to try."

Her happy mood turned sour ad she glanced back to her astronomy book with a halfhearted, "Yeah."

A sigh came from him and he moved his computer to the side so that he could lean his arms on the table. "It's a compliment, Addie. I know you work hard."

She pulled her eyes to meet his, a small frown on her face. "I know it's a compliment, idiot," she reprimanded lightly, ignoring his indignant huff. "I was just remembering some stuff when I was kid, that's all."

Bucky let out a groan and flicked a rolled up piece of paper at her. " _That's_ what's got you all mopey? Come on, Steve and I both know that you worked for your degree and every other thing. I know I joke about you being a spoiled rich kid but you know that's not how I feel, right?"

Someone hushed him as he had gotten too loud, and Addie chuckled at the murderous look on Bucky's face as someone had stopped his rant. He whipped his gaze back to her, dark strands of hair flying with him. Despite her insecurities, Addie nodded. "I know. And I just get, you know, uncomfortable when people think that about me."

"Did some guy say something? I'll beat him up for you."

"Uh, that's sweet, but no. I was just thinking about it today."

Bucky leaned back in his seat and folded his arms, an irritated vibe emanating from him. Addie knew it wasn't at her - he was never truly irritated at her, bless him - and let him stew in his own feelings.

Addie's parents were strict on her education. They had been as soon as she was able to talk, and it increased as she got older and able to retain more information. She didn't meet Steve and Bucky in school since she was placed in the expensive private school for "gifted" students as they liked to say.

Addie hated it.

She wasn't gifted. Was she intelligent? It was a word that had varying meanings depending on who was asked, but she could see herself as someone that was intelligent. She wasn't dumb (Sam called her an airhead, but she doesn't count that), and she hoped it wasn't pretentious to think of herself as smart. Or at least book smart - her decision making needed some revising. Growing up in a prestigious household, however, didn't allow for her to be anything but "gifted" as her parents would say.

She had tutors her parents hired that relentlessly shoved books, pamphlets, and loads of information onto her. She was allowed little leisure time because " _a Graham doesn't rest_ " and she was miserable. Of course, her parents provided for her the finest things: clothes, jewelry, shoes, anything they thought she wanted or needed. They gave her a bed to sleep in, a house to live in, and food to eat, so she always felt guilty when she thought poorly of her upbringing.

"Your parents really do piss me off, you know," Bucky drew her back. "I wouldn't mind avoiding them for the rest of my life."

"You're still mad that they like Steve better."

"A lot of people like Steve better," Bucky grumbled lightheartedly, and Addie rolled her eyes fondly at the rare display of immaturity the serious man in front of her showed. Bucky suddenly stood and began packing his and her things together. Bewildered, Addie tried to snatch her textbook from him. "What the hell are you doing?"

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "What does it look like? I'm getting our things together so that we can leave," he said matter of factly, handing her her backpack and shouldering his. "It's not too late for all of us to go out. I'm sure Sam would love it, and we can see if we can convince Steve to get drunk for once."

Reluctantly, Addie followed him, "I don't really want to go out tonight," she admitted, turning her head away. "I'm not in the mood."

Bucky wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her into his side. "Just come with us for an hour, and if you want to leave, I'll pay for the Uber to take us back to your place, how's that?"

Addie stared up at him for a few moments before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll let Nat know."

"Perfect."

* * *

"You sure you're okay with going?" Addie asked timidly, adjusting her jeans before slipping on a pair of nice sneakers. "You don't have to." _But please do._

Natasha nodded again, an exasperated look on her face as she finished up her makeup. "Addison, it's _fine_. Now, grab your things because we're not leaving your ID here, okay?"

"Pushy, pushy," the brunette grumbled but did as asked. They would meet the guys at the bar in their own Uber (Steve wanted to pay for his own this time) as none of them could really decide on who wanted to be designated driver for the night. Addie was sure Steve would do it if anyone asked, but with the stress of midterms coming up, even he would want to have fun and relax.

The ride to the bar wasn't uncomfortable as Natasha held most of the conversation with their driver. When they arrived, Addie wasn't surprised to see the place full of other students like them that needed a break. Addie couldn't help but latch on to Natasha's arm as she dragged the two of them to the entrance.

"You remembered your ID, right?" Natasha asked, giving her a pointed stare, and Addie rolled her eyes, nodding, digging through her purse to find it. "You specifically told me to grab it, so I did."

With an approving nod, Natasha found the guys. She leaned towards Addie. "You could've worn something a little nicer, you know."

"Don't talk to me."

Sam ripped her from Natasha's side, hooking an arm around her neck. "I can't believe _The_ Addison Graham decided to come out instead of studying!" He put a hand on her forehead. "Are you sick? Did Natasha poison you?"

Addie struggled from his hold, flailing her arms around. She could see Steve running a hand down his face in exasperation and attempting to pull Addie away. "Come on, Sam, we're in public."

He let go of her, and Addie huffed, patting her hair down, glaring at her friend. "Why do you do this every time? Why?"

Sam grinned. "You know it's fun."

"I hate it."

"Don't lie, Addie."

Bucky cut in between the bickering by shoving a beer into each of their hands and pulling them to a table, away from the crowd of people. He pushed the two into seats opposite of each other and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You two haven't even started drinking yet, why are you causing issues?"

"Blame Sam!" Addie cried, pointing an accusing finger to the laughing man across from her. Bucky shook his head and sent a pleading look to Steve and Natasha to hurry over. Sam suddenly stopped laughing and looked serious. He jerked his head to something behind her and glared.

"Veronica's here," he grumbled, and Addie immediately lowered her head to avoid being seen. Sam shook his head. "She already saw you; she's on her way over."

 _Oh no. No, no. She is the very last person I want to deal with right now._


End file.
